Portable beverage containers of the carafe type typically consist of a cylindrical vessel to which is affixed a cap, such as a screw cap. The cap is removable so that it, as well as the interior of the beverage container, can be washed. The cap includes an opening through which the liquid is poured from the beverage container into a glass or mug. A mechanism is usually provided for selectively blocking or liberating the opening so that the liquid from the inside of the body may pass therethrough.
Certain mechanisms for allowing the beverage to be released through the opening of a container include spring-loaded valves which are actuated by the user of the carafe in order to expose the opening. Such mechanisms frequently rely on depression of a region of the container in order to regulate the state of the valve. Clearly, such arrangements are inconvenient, as the user is required to continuously maintain pressure on the region during the pouring process in order to prevent the valve from returning to its closed position.
In other cases, the mechanism for allowing the beverage to be dispensed includes a shutter that is rotatable between two angular positions. At one angle, the shutter remains open, allowing the free passage of liquid, while at another angle, the shutter is closed, blocking the passage of liquid. However, a main inconvenience with such types of containers is that the position of the valve can accidentally be changed from, say, the open position to the closed position. If this accidental change of valve state occurs as the carafe falls during transportation, the liquid in the carafe will leak out through the open valve.
Clearly, there remains a need in the industry to provide a carafe that allows selective opening and closing of a valve, while remaining relatively simple to handle and designed so as to prevent the valve from accidentally opening.